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Jimmy Dormire: Premonition

TGP member Jimmy Dormire’s name might not be familiar to some, but he continues to be well known by music-industry insiders for his guitar work. After playing lead guitar for fourteen years with Grammy-nominated “Confederate Railroad”, Jimmy has stepped out on his own, releasing his solo CD, “Premonition”. With influences such as Duane Allman and John McGlaughlin, Jimmy stretches out in this solo project, utilizing acoustic and electric guitar to create music from his deeply spiritual sense of self.

Dormire’s first tune on the CD, “The Burning Sky”, sets the tone for what is to follow. It presents a confluence of acoustic and slide guitar that will bring a familiar feel to lovers of Southern rock n’ blues. If I had to peg Jimmy’s style, it would certainly fall into the “southern sound”. The CD continues on with the 2nd cut, “Freedom Train”, which offers a look at Dormire’s intentionally raw vocals. “Notion’s Bag” brings out the funk, followed by “As Above As Below”……….for a totally different feel.

This CD isn’t a one trick pony. Just when you think you have Dormire’s style pegged, something new and unexpected comes along to shift the mood and focus. There is a mix of tunes with vocals and instrumentals, topped off with the wonderfully rendered acoustic work on the last track of this CD, “Premonition”. You never get the feeling that Jimmy is showing off his chops at the expense of the song. Rather, he seems to play in a restrained manner to keep your attention on the music and to establish a sense of emotionality. The same is true of the lyrics, which steer clear of pop clichés. Listening to the vocal lines on “Sorrow’s End”, you get a sense of what is in the heart and soul of the artist. Pure and simple, Jimmy puts himself into his music, rather than going for commercial success by sacrificing who he is as a person and artist.

You should not consider this CD if you are looking for highly processed instruments, love the over-use of compression that sucks the dynamics out of the music, or want to hear the latest hot-shot 50-licks-a-second guitar hero. Those who are more likely to appreciate this CD include listeners who want to sit back and relax, letting the music move them to various emotional states, people who prefer to feel music instead of experiencing it only on an intellectual level, and folks who like authenticity. Above all, Jimmy comes across as being authentic……not choosing to follow the typical formulas found all too often in the recording industry. I thoroughly enjoyed this CD and found my wife listening intently (not a frequent happening!) while this recording was being auditioned. I give a big thumb’s up to Jimmy’s solo release.